GUATEMALAN JANUARY 23-24 MEETINGS WITH INL, WHA, DEA, NSC, TREASURY, AND ONDCP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GUATEMALA 000084

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/13/2016
TAGS: SNAR GT
SUBJECT: GUATEMALAN JANUARY 23-24 MEETINGS WITH INL, WHA, DEA, NSC, TREASURY, AND ONDCP

REF: (A) GUATEMALA 0014 (B) 05 GUATEMALA 2821

Classified By: Ambassador Derham for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d).


1. (SBU) Summary and introduction: Guatemalan Interior Minister Carlos Vielmann and Presidential Secretary Alfredo Vila will be visiting Washington January 23-24 to request greater USG counter- narcotics assistance. They intend to emphasize that Guatemala is an embryonic Colombian situation, the Berger administration (unlike its predecessor) recognizes the danger and is committed to keeping Guatemala from turning into a narco-state, but the GOG requires greater assistance. The Embassy recommends favorable consideration of their request. End summary.


2. (SBU) Vielmann and Vila are scheduled to visit Washington January 23-24 for meetings with INL A/S Patterson, WHA A/S Shannon, NSC Senior Director Dan Fisk, DEA Chief of Operations Michael Braun, ONDCP Director John Walters, and Treasury A/S Patrick O'Brien. On January 10, they previewed for the Country Team the presentation they intend to make for greater assistance and cooperation. In particular, Vielmann said the GOG was looking for assistance in setting up vetted units and intelligence-sharing arrangements, as well as equipment ranging from helicopters to bullet-proof vests. As the GOG stepped up its engagement with narco-traffickers, Vielmann said the GOG would also be looking for U.S. assistance in protecting GOG leaders from reprisals.


3. (SBU) The GOG assessment begins with an overview of Guatemala's geographical position, straddling the major land, maritime and air routes for narco-trafficking, alien smuggling and other organized crime. It notes, for example, the vast swaths of country that the GOG is unable to patrol for lack of resources and intelligence. A recent inspection of the border with Mexico turned up 1,048 "informal crossing points," of which 31 were suitable for vehicular traffic. The assessment also notes the air and maritime routes traversing Guatemala, identifies areas of marijuana and poppy cultivation, and names eleven organized crime groups. Vielmann said the GOG was troubled by indications that Guatemalan gangs, previously thought to have been confined to a retail distribution role, were now getting into "wholesale" narco-trafficking. Vielmann said his recent consultations with the Colombians reinforced his view that the GOG needed to act quickly to nip an embryonic Colombian situation in the bud.


4. (C) While reviewing their list of organized crime families in Guatemala, Vila and Vielmann said they were wrapping up an internal investigation of narco-trafficking allegations against Jaime Martinez-Lohayza, the congressional deputy who for the past year has headed their party (GANA) bloc in Congress. They said they intended to make the case to President Berger that, at a minimum, Martinez-Lohayza needed to be removed from his position as leader of the GANA bloc in Congress. Their implication was that they were seeking to do so while containing the political damage to Berger and GANA.


4. (SBU) As evidence of the GOG's commitment to combat narco-trafficking, Vielmann said he intends to cite to Washington interlocutors the following positive actions:
- legislation (civil intelligence bill signed into law, organized
crime bill pending in Congress);
- recent extension of Mayan Jaguar operations;
- the arrest in the U.S. of three top officers of the narcotics
police (SAIA);
- eradication (15 million poppy plants, 0.7 million
marijuana plants);
- seizures (almost $2m in seized assets, over $0.5m
in confiscated cash);
- 6,265 arrests for narco-trafficking (no time period specified);
- cooperation with Colombia and Mexico;
- joint patrols with El Salvador;
- restructuring of the narcotics police (SAIA);
- purge of corrupt police (PNC);
- suspension of visas for PRC nationals;
- seizure of precursor chemicals (pseudoephedrine).


5. (SBU) Vielmann said he was greatly impressed by how quickly Colombia was able to respond to extradition requests. He acknowledged that it took Guatemala 48 months to turn around an extradition request but said his goal was to reduce that to something closer to Colombia's one-month average.


6. (U) Embassy has e-mailed to WHA/CEN the Power Point presentation that Vielmann and Vila have prepared for their
Washington meetings.


7. (SBU) Comment: GOG counter-narcotics efforts continue to be thwarted by a combination of corruption, incompetence and intimidation at the working level among police, prosecutors and judges (ref A). The senior leadership recognizes narco-trafficking's threat and is committed to combating it. To the extent that the GOG can show progress in overcoming the corruption, incompetence and intimidation that have hampered law enforcement, the Embassy recommends favorable consideration of their request for assistance in setting up vetted units and intelligence-sharing arrangements, as well as equipment ranging from helicopters to bullet-proof vests.
DERHAM